It is not always easy to find healthy choices to eat in Ames restaurants. However, here are many of the city’s nicer places to eat feature fresh ingredients and quality cuisine.

The Café

2616 Northridge Parkway

www.thecafeames.com

According to The Café’s homepage, this restaurant buys from “local farmers and purveyors.”

Taco salads are dressed in salsa vinaigrette and chicken under a brick is baked, not fried.

Café Shi

823 Wheeler St.

www.cafeshi.com

Café Shi uses “fresh ingredients, home-style recipes, and pride” in making their dishes, according to their Web site. The tropical pork tenderloin and sesame ahi tuna are two of the entrees that are reasonably priced.

The Spice

402 Main St.

www.thespiceames.com

“Authentic Thai Cuisine” makes The Spice one of Ames’ most unique restaurants.

The Spice features a variety of salads, including the Mango salad, which is also made with apples, and Yum seafood, a dish featuring shrimp, squid and scallops in a sweet and sour dressing.

Aunt Maude’s

547 Main St.

www.auntmaudesames.com

Aunt Maude’s creates a physical image of the mythical Aunt Maude through the use of “her ideals of casual personal style, superb service and excellent cuisine,” according to their homepage.

This restaurant uses fresh and local growers, such as Iowa Family Farms. They also try to keep their dishes classic by including entrees such as salad nicoise and simple salmon.

Great Plains Sauce and Dough Company

129 Main St.

www.greatplainspizza.com

Great Plains “takes pride in being the best,” and, for this restaurant, that means using fresh veggies that are never frozen, according to their Web site.

They also have two alternative crust-styles: the Idaho style, which is made from potato flour, and the oat style, which is made with oats to give diners an alternative to wheat crusts.